


Reptiles

by IceCreamRaven



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Drowning, Gen, John cares about Arthur, John is angry, John is not stupid, John's POV of 'Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten' in the last scene, Murder, Not Beta Read, Not Shippy, Spoilers, but you can read it that way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 01:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16692559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreamRaven/pseuds/IceCreamRaven
Summary: He's never seen that look on Arthur's face.Inspired by the heartbreaking expression on Arthur's face when Dutch Does That.(Reposted because it wasn't showing up properly for some reason).





	Reptiles

John Marston is no saint. 

He isn't feeling particularly merciful towards Angelo Bronte, towards the bastard that _stole_ his son. Dutch though...Dutch always told them revenge was a terrible idea, and something in his gut tells him this is a _very_ bad idea.

"We gonna ransom you or what?"

"You're pathetic," Bronte spits, bold for a man in his position.

"Oh, I am? Cause from where I'm sitting...you're the one deserving of pity my friend."

His instincts are still whispering to him that something's off, his eyes flicking toward Arthur besides Dutch (per the norm) as if that will give him any answers, but he can't see his face.

"All your men, all your money, it weren't no match for a bunch of bumpkins."

"You are _nothing._ You do nothing. You mean nothing. You stand for nothing. Me? I run a city, and when the law catch up to you you will die like nothing! I am this country. You...you are what people are running _from!_ "

The whispers turn into screams and he tenses, very faintly. Focuses his gaze on Dutch and tells himself this isn't going to turn out badly.

"I possess things you will never understand," and the tension in his shoulders gets worse.

"You don't even possess your own men. A thousand dollars to the man that kills him and sets me free."

He's distracted from the sense of wrongness by the desire to scoff in his face, sure he's not the only one. Peoples' loyalty to Dutch tends to be unshakable, and it seems Bronte's figuring that out pretty quickly.

"What are you gonna say now?"

"They are even bigger fools than you," but he's starting to look nervous.

"No doubt!"

"The law will find you, already the dogs are on the way."

Dutch leans forward, something predatory in his movements,

"Oh yeah. Oh, you're right. You are so right. They are good at smelling filth, huh?" 

And his hand is wrapped around the back of Bronte's head, and John thinks Arthur's starting to tense too -

"So filth has got to be _disposed of!_ "

And Bronte's head is underwater, a scream escaping him at the last second -

"Your friends the Pinkertons gonna come and rescue you?! You repulsive little maggot!" 

And he pulls him out and John doesn't even get a chance to speak before he pushes him back under -

"Call them now! You call them!"

And Arthur's reached for the dock, bringing the boat to a halt, Bronte's struggles stopping shortly thereafter. He shifts and glances toward Lenny uneasily, kid looks as shell shocked as him as Dutch shoves Bronte's body into the water, right toward a distinct shape that makes him really wish _he_ wasn't in the water.

But when he looks at Arthur the anger he can feel starting to bubble under the surface boils over. 

He's never seen that look on Arthur's face. Absolutely shocked and...maybe a little bit hurt, a little bit betrayed.

It makes him feel off balance, makes the wrongness of it all seem more intense.

As he furiously "questions" Dutch all he can think is that he doesn't want to see that look ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> I cut this off a BIT before the end I know, I am a Christian and I wasn't comfortable /ahem/ writing some of the stuff John says, I'm sorry if that messed with the flow any. I hope you guys enjoy!


End file.
